Indian cricketers have performed exceptionally well in the ICC ODI World Cup tournaments. Players like Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and Rohit Sharma have topped the run-scoring charts in these tournaments.
Indian batsmen have consistently scored runs on the biggest stage, often led by their captains. When a team’s captain performs well and leads by example, it inspires other batsmen to perform better too.
Considering this, let’s look at 10 outstanding innings played by Indian captains in ICC ODI World Cups from all editions.
Here are the 10 Best Innings Played by Indian Captains in ODI World Cup History:
10. MS Dhoni- 85* vs. Zimbabwe, 2015 World Cup
In the 2015 World Cup in Auckland, India played against Zimbabwe. MS Dhoni won the coin toss and chose to field first. Zimbabwe batted well, scoring 287 runs. Brendan Taylor led with 138 runs, a strong performance as captain. Sean Williams also made a half-century.
India started their batting innings but lost their top three batsmen early. At 92/4, they were in trouble. Then Suresh Raina (110*) and MS Dhoni came together and built a partnership of 196* runs for the 5th wicket. This helped India win the match by 6 wickets. Dhoni played a crucial role, scoring 85* with 8 fours and 2 sixes, supporting Raina’s impressive innings.
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9. Rohit Sharma- 86 vs. Pakistan, 2023 World Cup
India and Pakistan played a cricket match in the recent ICC World Cup 2023 at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. India won the toss and decided to bowl first. Pakistan scored 191 runs in their innings, with their captain Babar Azam making 50 runs.
India chased the target of 192 runs. Captain Rohit Sharma started the innings strongly, scoring 86 runs from 63 balls with 6 fours and 6 sixes. His opening partner Shubman Gill hit 4 fours in his 16-run innings. India reached the target in 30.3 overs with 7 wickets remaining, securing a victory.
8. Rohit Sharma- 87 vs. England, 2023 World Cup
In the ICC World Cup 2023, Rohit Sharma has been getting India off to strong starts. But in a crucial match against England in Lucknow, where the pitch was slow, Rohit played differently. He scored 87 runs with 10 fours and 3 sixes from 101 balls because the middle order struggled to score.
Rohit’s innings helped India reach 229/9. Then, Indian bowlers easily dismissed England for just 129 runs, securing a victory by 100 runs. Rohit showed his skill by adjusting to the slow pitch and playing according to the conditions, which showed his leadership qualities.
7. MS Dhoni – 91* vs. Sri Lanka, 2011 World Cup
This innings is considered one of the best played by any Indian captain in the history of ODI World Cups. It’s special because MS Dhoni played exceptionally well in the final match of the 2011 World Cup tournament.
After Gautam Gambhir scored 97 runs to give India a good start in chasing 276 runs, Dhoni took charge after Gambhir got out. He and Yuvraj Singh handled the pressure from Sri Lanka in the final overs of the match. Dhoni finished the game with a six, ending unbeaten on 91 runs. India won the 2011 World Cup, becoming champions for the second time.
6. Mohammed Azharuddin- 93 vs. Australia, 1992 World Cup
The 1992 World Cup was tough for the Indian team. They only won two matches and didn’t make it to the next stage of the tournament. They beat Pakistan and Zimbabwe, and had a match against Sri Lanka canceled due to rain.
India almost beat Australia, the defending champions, but lost by just one run. Australia scored 237/9 first, with Dean Jones making 90 runs. Kapil Dev and Manoj Prabhakar took three wickets each for India.
In response, Sanjay Manjrekar scored 47 runs and captain Mohammed Azharuddin hit 93 with 10 fours. He got India close to the target, but at the end, Javagal Srinath and Venkatapathy Raju couldn’t score the three runs needed on the last ball. India finished on 234, just short of the revised target of 236 runs.
5. Sourav Ganguly- 107* vs. Kenya, 2003 World Cup
Sourav Ganguly did really well in the ICC World Cup 2023. He was one of the few batters who hit three centuries in that tournament. He scored two centuries against Kenya and one against Namibia.
In his first century against Kenya in Cape Town, India was chasing 226 runs. Even though Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, and Mohammad Kaif got out early with scores in single digits, Ganguly played superbly, scoring 107 not out. He hit 11 fours and 2 sixes. With support from Rahul Dravid, who scored 32 runs, and Yuvraj Singh, who scored an unbeaten 58, Ganguly led India to a 6-wicket win.
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4. Sourav Ganguly- 111* vs. Kenya, 2003 World Cup
India played Kenya for the second time in the 2003 World Cup during the tournament’s semi-final in Durban. India decided to bat first. Sachin Tendulkar scored 83 runs, giving India a strong start. Ganguly continued the momentum with an unbeaten 111 runs from 114 balls, hitting 5 fours and 5 sixes. India scored 270 runs for 4 wickets. Kenya struggled to chase this big target in such an important match and got all out for 179 runs. India won by 91 runs and advanced to their second World Cup final since 1983.
3. Sourav Ganguly- 112* vs. Namibia, 2003 World Cup
In the 2003 World Cup, Sourav Ganguly scored his highest runs in a match against Namibia in Pietermaritzburg. India batted first and scored 311/2. Sachin Tendulkar scored 152 not out with 18 fours, and Ganguly scored 112 not out with 6 fours and 4 sixes.
Namibia only scored 130 runs, with Yuvraj Singh taking 4 wickets for 6 runs. India won the match by 181 runs. Ganguly matched Mark Waugh’s record of scoring three centuries in a single World Cup tournament.
2. Rohit Sharma- 131 vs. Afghanistan, 2023 World Cup
Rohit Sharma has been excellent for India, though he hasn’t received as much credit as Virat Kohli. In a match against Afghanistan in the 2023 ODI World Cup in Delhi, Afghanistan chose to bat first on a tricky pitch. They scored 272/8 in 50 overs, with Hashmatullah Shahidi making 80 and Azmatullah Omarzai scoring 62.
In reply, Rohit Sharma led India’s chase with Ishan Kishan, who scored 47, sharing a 156-run partnership in 19 overs. Rohit continued his form and scored 131 runs from 84 balls, hitting 16 fours and 5 sixes. It was a superb innings by Rohit, as he handled Afghanistan’s spinners well, with Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman failing to take any wickets. India won the match comfortably by 8 wickets.
1. Kapil Dev- 175* vs. Zimbabwe, 1983 World Cup
The best innings by any Indian captain in ODI World Cup history happened in the 1983 tournament, played by Kapil Dev. India started well with wins over West Indies and Australia, but in the next stage of the tournament, they faced a tough situation.
To reach the semi-finals, they needed to beat Zimbabwe. Kapil Dev, as captain, won the toss and chose to bat at Tunbridge Wells ground. Zimbabwe’s seam bowlers quickly put India in trouble, reducing them to 78/7.
Kapil Dev came to bat at number six and took control after a slow start. After lunch, he accelerated his scoring. With contributions from Roger Binny (22 runs) and Syed Kirmani (24 not out), India managed to score 266/8 in 60 overs. Kapil himself made a then-record ODI World Cup score of 175 not out off 138 balls, hitting 16 fours and 6 sixes.
This was the first century by an Indian in ODI cricket. Kapil’s innings, supported by bowling from Madan Lal and Roger Binny, led India to a 31-run victory, securing their place in the semi-finals.
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